Highfields Vets

What Highfields Vets does

Highfields Vets is an independent, family-owned small animal veterinary practice based in Littleover, Derby, England, established around 2020–2021 (Companies House number 13019999). The practice serves individual pet owners across Derby and the surrounding Derbyshire/East Midlands catchment, providing comprehensive veterinary care for companion animals including dogs, cats, and rabbits. It operates from a single physical clinic equipped with two operating theatres (one sterile, one for dental procedures), an in-house Idexx-equipped laboratory, digital X-ray and ultrasound suites, separate cat and dog waiting areas and kennels, and an ISFM Cat Friendly accreditation. The clinical team comprises seven veterinary surgeons, qualified and student veterinary nurses, reception staff, and physiotherapists, delivering consultations, soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, vaccinations, and ancillary services such as acupuncture, breeding support, home visits, end-of-life care, and Animal Health Certificates for pet travel. Out-of-hours emergencies are routed to Pride Veterinary Hospital under a referral partnership.

The business runs a hybrid revenue model combining a tiered monthly subscription Pet Health Plan (Cat £14.50, Smaller Dog £16.50, Larger Dog £18.50, Rabbit £16.50/month for preventative care, with 'Comprehensive' tiers at £23.50–£27.50/month adding unlimited consultations) with pay-as-you-go clinical services priced individually — £45 per consultation, surgical procedures ranging from £75 (cat castration) to £1,575 (BOAS), dental work £250–£720, and travel documentation at £165. Health plan administration is handled through VetSuccess, online booking through Vetstoria, payments via Dojo, and practice management through Idexx Animana, with visiting specialist surgeons and physiotherapists providing advanced orthopaedic and rehab services on-site.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, anchored on transparent pricing, educational blog content, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and word-of-mouth rather than paid acquisition. The practice deliberately positions itself as a 'fiercely independent' alternative to corporate veterinary groups, reinforced by an 'Excellent' Google rating from 205 reviews and the ISFM Cat Friendly Award. There is no external funding, parent company, or M&A activity disclosed, and the practice appears to be privately funded by its owner/founder, veterinary surgeon Lucy Travers.

Name

Highfields Vets

Legal name

Highfields Vets

Website

https://highfieldsvets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highfields Vets is an independent, family-owned small animal veterinary practice in Littleover, Derby, England, serving local pet owners with consultations, surgery, dentistry, diagnostics, and tiered subscription health plans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

akta.pro primary industry

Low-Cost & Community Veterinary Clinics (HLAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Diagnostics & Laboratory Services (Sampling, Necropsy, Disease Investigation) (AFACADAF)

Keywords

• Small animal veterinary care
• Pet health plans
• Veterinary diagnostics
• Veterinary surgical services
• Pet travel certificates

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Consultations and Medical Services: Revenue from consultation fees (£45 per consultation), vaccinations, diagnostic tests, medical treatments, and ongoing patient care. Includes nurse consultations, acupuncture, and other therapeutic services.
2. Pet Health Plans (Subscription): Monthly subscription health plans ranging from £14.50-£27.50 per month offering preventative care including vaccinations, flea/tick/worm treatments, discounts on services, and optional unlimited consultations. Recurring monthly revenue with tiered plans for cats, small dogs, large dogs, and rabbits.
3. Surgical Procedures: Revenue from soft tissue surgery, orthopaedic procedures, neutering, dental procedures, and other operations. Pricing ranges from £75 (cat castration) to £1,575 (BOAS procedure) with additional costs for complex cases.
4. Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory Tests: Revenue from in-house blood tests, ultrasound scans, radiography, pregnancy scans, cardiac scans, and external laboratory tests. Prices range from £60 (pregnancy scan) to £565 (full radiographic assessment).
5. Pet Travel Documentation: Animal Health Certificate service for pet travel abroad at £165, requiring OV (Official Veterinarian) qualifications.
6. Repeat Prescriptions: Revenue from repeat prescription medications with 72-hour turnaround time for order processing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Highfields Vets is a family-run independent small animal veterinary practice delivering consultations, vaccinations, surgery (soft tissue and orthopaedic), dentistry, in-house diagnostics, and preventative health plans for dogs, cats, and rabbits in Derby. Services are delivered from a single clinic in Littleover, supplemented by home visits, online booking, and recurring monthly subscription health plans. The practice also provides specialist services including physiotherapy, acupuncture, breeding support, and Official Veterinarian pet travel certification.

Product overview

Highfields Vets is a family-run independent veterinary practice offering comprehensive small animal healthcare services. The core offering includes general veterinary consultations, diagnostics (laboratory, imaging), and surgical services. The practice operates a tiered Pet Health Plan system with Preventative Care and Comprehensive Plan options covering cats, dogs, and rabbits. Additional services include physiotherapy, dentistry, acupuncture, breeding services, anxiety-friendly care, home visits, end-of-life care, and animal health certificates for pet travel. The practice partners with Pride Veterinary Hospital for out-of-hours emergencies and uses third-party platforms for online booking (Vetstoria), payments (Dojo), health plan administration (VetSuccess), and practice management (Idexx Animana).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Veterinary Services Comprehensive veterinary care including consultations, vaccinations, diagnostics, and treatment for common conditions in dogs, cats, and rabbits. Extended consultation times enable thorough care including for nervous pets.
• Surgical Services Two operating theatres (one sterile, one for dentistry) supporting soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, neutering, and advanced procedures including BOAS, with visiting specialist surgeons for complex cases.
• Veterinary Dentistry Dental care including scale and polish, complete dental procedures, dental radiographs, and tooth extractions under general anaesthesia for dogs and cats.
• Diagnostic Imaging Digital X-ray suite, dental radiography, and ultrasonography for diagnostic imaging including pregnancy scanning, abdominal problem diagnosis, and cardiac scans.
• Laboratory Services In-house laboratory capabilities including Idexx analyser for rapid blood and urine test results and microscopy for quick diagnostic turnaround.
• Pet Health Plan (Preventative Care Subscription) Monthly subscription health plan (£14.50-£27.50/month) covering annual vaccinations, year-round flea/tick/worm treatment, kennel cough vaccination, microchipping discounts, and neutering/dental discounts. Available for cats, smaller dogs, larger dogs, and rabbits.
• Comprehensive Health Plan Premium subscription tier of the Pet Health Plan (£23.50-£27.50/month) including unlimited vet and nurse consultations throughout the year (excluding out of hours), in addition to all preventative care benefits.
• Veterinary Physiotherapy Non-invasive treatment for soft tissue injuries, orthopaedic conditions, and neurological conditions provided by qualified veterinary physiotherapists Emma-Jayne Rudkin and Melanie Bruder.
• Acupuncture Veterinary acupuncture service provided for conditions such as arthritis and other painful conditions.
• Breeding Services Specialist breeding services including progesterone testing, ultrasound scans, whelping assistance, and caesarean sections for professional and hobby pet breeders.
• Animal Health Certificates (Pet Travel) Official Veterinarian certification for pet travel abroad, including animal health certificates and export health certificates, priced at £165 for registered clients.
• Home Visits Veterinary home visit service for pets that are difficult to bring to the practice, subject to a call-out fee based on distance traveled.
• End of Life Care Compassionate end-of-life services including home euthanasia options and access to local pet cremation services.
• Repeat Prescription Service Online repeat prescription ordering system where clients can request medications for their pets, with 72-hour turnaround and text/email notification when ready. Written prescription fee £18.
• Out of Hours Emergency Care Emergency veterinary services outside normal opening hours (weekday 08:00-19:00, Saturday 08:30-13:30) provided through partnership with Pride Veterinary Hospital on Pride Park, Derby.

Quantifiable outcome

• 205 Google reviews with Excellent rating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Idexx AnimanacoreTechnology or IntegrationPractice management system for client and patient records. Provides comprehensive veterinary practice management software including medical records, scheduling, and client communication capabilities.
• VetstoriacoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline booking and registration platform enabling clients to book appointments and register as new clients through the practice website.
• DojocoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing solution for veterinary services and products.
• VetSuccesscoreTechnology or IntegrationHealth plan administration platform used to manage the practice's pet health club membership, subscriptions, and billing.
• Pet Proactive LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred pet insurance provider. Clients can be referred to Pet Proactive for insurance quotes, with personal data shared only with explicit prior permission from clients.
• Pride Veterinary Hospital (Vets at Night)coreOthersOut-of-hours emergency service provider for overnight and weekend emergency care when the practice is closed. Located on Pride Park, Derby. Clients are directed to call 01332 678333 for emergencies outside normal hours.
• Visiting Specialist Surgeons (Ryan, Rob, and Catalin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrthopaedic and advanced surgery specialists who visit the practice to perform complex surgical procedures on-site, providing continuity of care for patients who would otherwise need to be referred elsewhere.
• Emma-Jayne Rudkin and Melanie Bruder (Physiotherapists)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQualified veterinary physiotherapists who run clinics at Highfields Vets, providing physiotherapy services for soft tissue injuries, orthopaedic conditions, and neurological conditions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scarsdale Vets: Long-established Derby-based veterinary group offering small animal GP and referral services. Direct geographic competitor for Highfields' East Midlands catchment with comparable companion-animal clinical scope.
• easipetcare: UK value-positioned small-animal vet chain competing on transparent low pricing. Closely comparable to Highfields on price-led positioning and standard companion-animal clinical services.
• Goddard Veterinary Group: Long-running independent small-animal veterinary group in London/Essex with comparable GP services, own lab and nursing team. A relevant independent peer of similar operational character.
• Pride Veterinary Hospital: Derby-based veterinary hospital providing 24/7 emergency and referral services; explicitly Highfields' out-of-hours partner and the closest direct competitor in the local catchment for emergency caseload.

Broad incumbents

• IVC Evidensia: Europe's largest veterinary group with a substantial UK small-animal practice network. Key consolidator shaping the competitive context Highfields operates within.
• Companion Care (Pets at Home): In-store small-animal vet chain operating inside Pets at Home stores, including East Midlands locations. Competes on convenience and bundled pet retail/vet offering.
• VetPartners: UK-wide veterinary group with extensive small-animal practice portfolio. Another major consolidator relevant to Highfields' competitive set and acquisition risk.
• Medivet: Large UK veterinary group with nationwide branches and 24/7 hospitals offering GP, referral, and out-of-hours care. Broad incumbent overlapping Highfields' clinical scope at significantly greater scale.
• Vets4Pets: Largest UK small-animal vet chain (part of Pets at Home Group) with practices across the country including East Midlands locations. Competes on convenience, hours, and scale rather than independence.
• CVS Group: AIM-listed UK veterinary services group operating small-animal practices, labs, and crematoria. Represents the corporate consolidation pressure referenced in Highfields' customer reviews.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/105886504673050
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highfields-vets
• Instagraminstagram.com/highfieldsvets

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highfields Vets